The UK is full of natural beauty spots with epic coastlines, hidden coves, misty mountains and everything a nature-lover could desire in between.
Here are ten of the UK’s best natural wonders to inspire your next adventure in the great outdoors.
Cader Idris,
Snowdonia
Wales is awash with wonderful scenery, but it's hard to beat Snowdonia: a landscape of rocky mountain peaks, glacier-hewn valleys, sinuous ridges, sparkling lakes and rivers.
Cader Idris mountain (893m) is named in honour of a giant called Idris, who allegedly created the rugged landscape during boulder-throwing duels with rivals.
It's also said to be the stomping ground of Gwyn ap Nudd, lord of the Celtic underworld, the howling of whose hounds is a portend of doom. It offers some of Wales' most spectacular hiking.
Jurassic Coast,
Dorset
Towering rock stacks, sea-carved arches and fossils aplenty, plus some of the best beaches in the country. The Jurassic Coast is England's first natural World Heritage Site.
Natural beauty spots along the route include the famously photogenic Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and the Golden Cap.
Fingal’s Cave,
Scotland
Accessible only by boat, this columnar sea cave on the island of Staffa inspired Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture after the composer heard waves echoing in this cathedral-like natural structure.
The cave walls and cliffs are made up of hexagonal basalt columns that look like pillars (Staffa is Norse for "pillar island"). You can land on the island and walk into the cave via a causeway.
Scotland’s
Highlands
The Highlands abound in breathtaking views, but the far northwest is truly awe-inspiring.
The coastal road between Durness and Kyle of Lochalsh offers jaw-dropping scenes at every turn: the rugged mountains of Assynt, the desolate beauty of Torridon and the remote cliffs of Cape Wrath.